About Higher Education PhD

Doctoral students in our PhD program come from a range of backgrounds and professions. Some attend UMass full time (taking three courses each semester) while many attend part-time and work full-time at nearby higher education institutions.

Well before completing their degrees, our doctoral students become active members of the higher education research community. Many of our students publish their work individually or in collaboration with others, often in some of the most prestigious academic journals in the field of higher education. They also present at professional conferences individually, with other students, and in collaboration with faculty members. The conferences they attend include NASPA, ACPA, ASHE, AERA, and CIES.

If you aspire to be a scholar-practitioner in higher education while also moving into leadership roles as an administrator, policymaker, researcher or faculty member, we encourage you to apply.